Deploying and folding modules system for the display and sale of goods

ABSTRACT

This invention makes reference to a set of modules with different shapes such as rectangle, square or curve made of metallic sections, preferable industrial aluminum, slotted and structural, joined by pairs of hinges located in the front and rear face of the modules in order to fold them onto each other in a zigzag way, afterwards allows to install and screw the locking screws in the rivet threads that are in the modules, giving the necessary strength to keep it upright. 
     Thus, the marketing and exhibition structures, such as stands and exhibition furniture, are assembled. 
     To assemble a counter for customer service in the exhibition fair. The structure is joined by locking screws in rivet threads and they secure the rigid base or platform which goes on top of the structure to assemble the exhibition furniture. 
     These structures are covered with interchangeable sheets made of polystyrene, acrylic, polycarbonate or fabric with corporate images and pictures digitally printed. Thus achieving installation time at show rooms and fairs is optimized due the fact that the system is portable, lightweight, reusable, reconfigurable and don&#39;t need additional tools.

The object which the invention relates to and is protected in this utility model is about a series of squared, rectangle and curved modules to be fold onto each other in a zigzag way in order to assemble a structure where articles and goods are displayed such us a stand and exhibition furniture.

Currently, in the market, there are many products for exhibition fairs and the aim of those products, mainly stand and exhibition furniture, is to visually impact the visitor, the objective is to adapt them to the commercial needs of the companies, to customize the stands and furniture with logos, corporate images or messages to be displayed in printings.

It is well know the existence of different materials to build stands among them wood, plastic, glass, wrought iron and stainless steel with a variety of finishes in laminated plastic, vinyl or paint.

The basic ones are made of aluminum sections that enclose methacrylate plates that are basically the same and are based on the construction of modules of posts, crossbars and curves.

Whereas more elaborated stands are built of cut and painted plates of wood, requiring the use of accessories, electric and manual tools, the time required to build a wood stand depends on the type of wood used and on the design chosen by the customer.

Regarding the type of wood, it can be classified in two types, hardwood and softwood. The first ones are the most expensive, also are the most resistant and durable for the stand but hard to work with. The softwood are much more flexibles, easy to work with however, very fragile when used as part of the stand structure. When either type of wood is used. The more complex the design is the longer is going to take to build the stand.

Is common to rent wooden structures based on the company's design or on the solution offered by the stand provider, on many occasions they reuse structure where the damage and degradation is visibly evident. When the structure is for sale the lead time, including manufacturing, is minimum 20 working days which impacts very hard costs, logistics to transport and storage the structure and lead time of the customer.

The deployable modules device intended for advertising and exhibition of goods proposed by the invention has been conceived and structured in order to solve the problems mentioned above.

The squared, rectangle and curved modules are made of metal sections, preferable square, slotted and structural industrial aluminum sections, where each module is assembled with four (4) aluminum sections clipped at 45° to shape it squared, shape it rectangle or even curved shape we secure them with aluminum corners and screws.

The modules are joined together by pairs of hinges located on the back and front side of the modules to be able to fold each other in a zigzag way, when we put the structure, which consists of the joined modules, horizontally over the floor to be able to lock the screws in the rivet threads giving the necessary strength to keep the structure upright.

The most striking feature is the zigzag folding system that allows modules be folded on each other to make easier the transport of the modules, It is very convenient because it takes up little space and its very light, in the location where is going to be installed is very easy to deploy the structure and assemble the stand and exhibition furniture without any additional tools.

Each structure can be made since two (2) to even five (5) modules, they are joined one beside the other to build the stands for exhibiting and marketing goods, each module or structure is joined to the other one from the sides by locking the screws in the rivet threads, using two (2) structures forming a support structure (Backing), joining three (3) structures in the same way gives origin to a minimum size dimension for a stand.

Uses for curved modules are: depending on the design, adding a circumference within a square module, which can be used in the ceiling or as part the structure; another use could be is a square module with a straight corner and a curved one; another use could be a module with a straight side and half circumference on the other side.

To provide stability to the structure, two more structures will be added to a backup wall (Backing) or stand at each end, each with the same number of modules in height of the central structure and a certain width, all depending on the design.

Exhibition Furniture is also manufactured, such as counters and exhibitors.

The structures that the stand is made of are covered with digital printings of corporate images on interchangeable sheets of polystyrene, acrylic, fabric. These sheets are installed manually by pressing directly the tape that's has previously attached to the rear face of the modules.

This modules system allows to reduce the time to build and install a stand in an exhibition fair because of the portability of the structure. In other words is a system that goes from being compact to be opened and extended. When compacted it is easy to transport, small dimensions and light weight. There is no need of additional tools, just to place, tighten and lock the screws in the rivet threads. The modules are reusable because the digital printed sheets are interchangeable which allows the company to use them in many different events, trade shows and exhibition fairs, there is also the option to reconfigure the size of the printings from the original design.

Regarding the exhibition furniture the set of folding modules allows to build counters, exhibitors, among other options, which are assembled using a four-module structure joining the two ends in a 90° position locking the screws in the rivet threads to get a solid square or rectangle and on top of the structure goes a wooden or acrylic platform which is screwed to the rivet threads.

To complement the description that is being made and with the aim to get a better understanding of the building and the features of the utility model we enclose to this description, as an integral part of it, a set of drawings to represent it.

FIG. 1. Illustrates how the module (1) is assembled.

FIG. 2. Illustrates set of modules (1) before they are joined by pairs of hinges (4) located on the back and front side of the modules.

FIG. 3. Shows a view of the structure without unfolding in a Zigzag position.

FIG. 4. Shows the structure in horizontal position over the floor to put the locking screws (5).

FIG. 5. Shows the structure with the tape (7) to cover it with interchangeable sheets made of vinyl or fabric (8).

FIG. 6. Illustrates the amount of modules (1) that the structure can has, three modules (1) of 75×75 centimeters each plus another module (1) of 25×75 centimeters completing in this case four modules (1) with a 2.05 meters high.

FIG. 7. Shows the mentioned structure above with 2.05 meters high, adding a fifth module (1) of 50×75 centimeters which in an angle of 90° at the top creates a ceiling.

FIG. 8. Illustrates one of the uses of the curved modules (1) which is adding a circumference (9) of 75 centimeters in diameter within a square module.

FIG. 9. Shows a square module (1) with a straight corner and the other one curved.

FIG. 10. Shows a square module (1) with a straight side and half circumference on the other side.

FIG. 11. Illustrates the use of a circumference (9) within a square module to be part of a structure or for build another structure.

FIG. 12. Shows how to assemble a backing structure joining two structures, one to each other laterally by locking and securing the screws to the rivet threads.

FIG. 13. Illustrates how, when three structures together in the aforementioned manner, create the minimum size of a stand.

FIG. 14. Shows how stability is given to the structure, a backing structure or stand adding two more structures (11) to support them upright on each end at 90°, each one with the same number of modules (1) in height of the central structure.

FIG. 15. Shows an example of a stand with the following dimensions 2.25×1.50 meters and 2.50 meters in high.

FIG. 16. Illustrates how exhibition furniture, a counter for customer service, is assembled by adding a wooden platform or acrylic for exhibition furniture and locking the screws with rivet threads.

FIG. 17. According to design, presentation to a customer of 3D images created by a software.

Based on the previous images it's noticeable that the deployable and folding module system for marketing and exhibition of goods it's structured from square, rectangle and curved modules (1) made of metal sections preferably square sections of slotted and structural industrial aluminum with the following dimensions: 75×75 centimeters or 25×75 centimeters or 50×75 centimeters, where each module (1) is assembled by joining the four aluminum sections of 45° to shape it as a square, rectangle or even curved corner. Each of them is secured with aluminum corner pieces (2) of 2.3 centimeters and screws of ⅜ inches in diameter (FIG. 1).

These modules (1) are joined by pairs of metallic hinge (4) with dimensions from 5×2 centimeters to 7×3 centimeters located at the rear and front side of the modules (1) (FIG. 2) to fold the modules into the other ones in a zigzag way (FIG. 3), going from compact version to the open and extended one.

When the initial structure is in horizontal position over the floor allows to screw the metallic locking screws (5) from 8 centimeters in length to 10.5 centimeters by ⅜ inches in diameter in the rivet threads (6) that matches the screw (5) to be coupled, its location is next to each hinge (4) 10 centimeters from the center (FIG. 4) giving the necessary strength in order to keep the structure upright.

In the horizontal position the tape (7) on the front face of the structure is stick for the adherence in the back side of the structure of the digital printings with the corporate images and pictures on interchangeable sheets (8) made of plastic, acrylic, polycarbonate or fabric (FIG. 5).

Each structure may have two, three four or even five modules (1) depending on the design; there may be three modules (1) of 75×75 centimeters plus one module (1) of 25×75 centimeters completing four modules with 2.5 meters in high (FIG. 6) being this the commonly accepted height in show rooms and exhibition fairs.

In some cases, according to the design, a fifth module (1) of 50×75 centimeters can be added which in an angle of 90° at the top creates a ceiling (FIG. 7). In the ceiling curved modules (1) are used too by adding a circumference (9) 75 centimeters in diameter within a square module of 75×75 centimeters (FIG. 8); another use is a square module (1) with a straight and curved corners, such curve will be 75 centimeters in diameter (FIG. 9); another use is a module (1) with a straight side and half circumference of 75 centimeters in diameter (FIG. 10).

The use of a circumference of 75 centimeters in diameter (9) within a square module (1) of 75×75 centimeters (FIG. 8) could be part of a structure or for build another structure (FIG. 11). All of this is based on the design approved by the customer.

The initial structure (FIG. 6) will be joined laterally to another structure using locking screws (5) which match the rivet threads (6) that are located half the height of each pair de modules (1) forming a backing wall (FIG. 12), dimensions: 1.5 meters in width×2.5 meters in high.

Three structures together in the aforementioned manner, create the minimum size of a stand (FIG. 13).

To provide stability to the structure (FIG. 6), backing wall (FIG. 12) or stand (FIG. 13), two more structures will be added to support (11) them upright on each end at 90°, each one with the same number of modules (1) in height of the central structure, with 25-50 centimeters in width according to the design (FIG. 14).

The structures that conform the stand are covered with interchangeable sheets (8) made of rigid polystyrene, acrylic, polycarbonate or fabric with corporate images digitally printed. These sheets are attached to the structure by pressing them to the tape manually.

E.G. A stand with the following dimensions: 2.25×1.5 meters with 2.5 meters in high consists of seven structures, three structures for backing support and two structures on each side. Each of the backing structures has a module (1) to create the roof; two are square modules (1) with a straight corner and the other one curved with a 75 centimeters in diameter (FIG. 9), and the central roof will be by adding a circumference (9) of 75 centimeters in diameter within a square module (1) of 75×75 centimeters (FIG. 8). Lateral structures have two different heights: 2.5 meters and 2.25 meters. These structures are joined laterally using locking screws (5) which match the rivet threads (6) that are located half the height of each pair de modules (1) and are covered with interchangeable sheets (8) made of rigid polystyrene, acrylic, polycarbonate or fabric with corporate images digitally printed (FIG. 15).

To assemble exhibition furniture, with the deployable folding system, such as counters for customer service or display or rack etc. it's possible to use accordingly to the design a four-module (1) structure with the following dimensions: 25×75 centimeters or 50×75 centimeters or 75×75 centimeters. When two modules (1) are assembled by each end at an angle of 90°, a solid square or rectangle results which is joined using locking screws (5) which match the rivet threads (6) and a platform made of wood, acrylic or glass is installed on top of it for exhibition furniture (10). This platform is secured using locking screws (5) which match the rivet threads (6) (FIG. 16).

With the system of deployable and folding modules a great variety of stands can be assembled, which will depend on the designs proposed by the company, the customer's needs and on our designer's creativity. This stand will be complemented by the exhibition furniture which is also assembled with the module's system. A design is given to the customer through 3D images which includes a layout of the stand with one exhibition furniture (FIG. 17). 

1. Deployable modules system for marketing and exhibition which consist of square, rectangle or curved modules (1), corner pieces of aluminum (2), screws (3), hinges (4), locking screws (5) in rivet threads (6), tape (7), interchangeable sheets (8), and platform for exhibition furniture (10). It's main feature is that each module (1) could be a square, a rectangle or curved, in addition each module (1) is assembled joining four aluminum sections of 45° that are locked with corner pieces of aluminum (2) and screws, these modules (1) are joined by intercalated pairs of hinges (4) and locking screws (5) in rivet threads that are placed between the modules (1). The tape (7) is placed on the front face of the structure where the interchangeable sheets (8) are placed which cover the structure. Regarding the stability of the structure, a backing structure or stand made of two more structures (11) to support them upright on each end or near at each end at 90°, each structure with the same number of modules (1) and the height of the central structure.
 2. System or device of modules, according to claim 1, characterized because each module (1) is made of square slotted and structural industrial sections joined by corner pieces (2) and screws (3).
 3. System or device of modules, according to claim 1, characterized because contains locking screws (5) in rivet threads (6).
 4. System or device of modules, according to claim 1, characterized because each structure may have two, three four or even five modules (1).
 5. System or device of modules, according to claim 4, characterized because each structure is joined to the other one laterally by locking screws (5) in rivet threads (6) which are going to be inserted in the middle of each pair of modules (1).
 6. System or device of modules, according to claim 1, characterized because has curved modules (1), circumference (9), half circumference.
 7. System or device of modules, according to claim 4, characterized because has two structures that support upright on each end.
 8. System or device of modules, according to claim 1, characterized because the structure comprises a set of four modules (1), joined by locking screws (5) in rivet threads (6) and on top of it goes a platform for exhibition furniture (10). 